Virologists' statement: the coronavirus has become more "vile", and the death rate is growing

Virologists and epidemiologists have recognized that the mortality rate from coronavirus in Russia is now one of the highest in the world, and for doctors today it is the number one problem.

Irina Mishina

Russia is one of the five countries with the highest death rates from Covid-19 per 100 thousand population. According to the infectious disease specialist Yevgeny Timakov, the virus has become more insidious and "more vile". Covid-19 has new symptoms.

“The coronavirus is becoming more and more contagious. Recently, he began to disguise himself as seasonal illnesses. So, in the summer there were many covid with gastrointestinal symptoms, and since rotavirus infection is common in the summer, it was not easy to recognize Covid-19. Now covid is disguised as seasonal illness with respiratory symptoms, runny nose and sore throat. New: there are fewer cases of loss of smell, but more intestinal disorders. Also, there are fewer and fewer cases of asymptomatic coronavirus. That is, the primary symptoms in covid are increasingly disguised. At the same time, the subsequent course of the disease was unchanged: the same rise in temperature, a cytokine storm. That is, the first stage, in fact, is lost, and here it is important to consult a doctor on time, even with a slight runny nose and cough. Due to the reluctance to go to self-isolation, many with such symptoms continue to go to work and, as a result, infect a huge number of people”, - said the infectious disease specialist Yevgeny Timakov.

Recently, it was decided to distribute express testing and make it more massive and free. However, the accuracy of express tests does not exceed 50%. Due to incorrect readings of express tests, the author of these lines did not diagnose coronavirus pneumonia in time. Incorrect diagnosis and incorrect treatment at an early stage resulted in more than 60% of lung damage. But it is the correct treatment of coronavirus at an early stage that can save a person.

As you know, in May of this year in India, in the state of Uttar Pradesh with its 240 million population, the Delta strain was defeated precisely with the help of early diagnosis and treatment. They identified the source of infection, isolated the patient and all his relatives, supplying them with free medicines, including cheap antimalarial and antifungal drugs, as well as vitamins C and D. As a result, the death rate from the delta strain in India practically disappeared. ... Subsequently, such treatment regimens have worked well in Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Nigeria and other countries. Why is the 12th version of the recommendations of the Ministry of Health on the treatment of coronavirus coming out in Russia, and an effective drug against Covid-19 has not yet been found?

“So far, we have not been able to get a drug that will help quickly. But we have antiviral drugs in our arsenal, and there is evidence-based therapy. We use methods of injecting donated blood and immunoglobulins. As for antimalarial drugs, they have a high caridotoxicity”, - said Sergei Voznesensky, associate professor of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the RUDN University, answering the question of Novye Izvestia.

Unfortunately, the question of Novye Izvestia about the methods of early treatment of coronavirus in Russia remained unanswered. I remember that last year, the relatives of the patient were given free first-aid kits, which included antiviral drugs and vitamins C and D. Whether this useful preventive measure remained among the new recommendations of the Ministry of Health, the speakers did not explain.

The journalists were interested in the topic of the effectiveness of vaccinations against coronavirus. In particular, the journalist "NI" asked a question about the difference between the antibodies of those who have had a coronavirus infection and the antibodies produced after vaccination. The reason for this was a simple fact: in the district clinic for compulsory medical insurance there is an opportunity to donate blood for antibodies to covid. The author of these lines, who had had a severe form of covid, the analysis showed the presence of antibodies, but they were not found in the family members vaccinated by "Sputnik". Answering this question, Sergey Voznesensky, Associate Professor of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the RUDN University , said that "with the introduction of each vaccine, there will be different antibodies, it is important to find the correct testing system." According to him, after vaccination with EpivacCorona, antibodies may not appear in any of the testing systems.

“The vaccine is not 100% protective. It is worth noting that vaccinated people also get sick. But in vaccinated people the risk of death is practically zero”, - explained Nikolay Malyshev, doctor of medical sciences, infectious disease specialist.

The question arose about the relevance of all current vaccines in relation to changing strains of coronavirus. Its mutation is occurring rapidly. According to the infectious disease specialist Nikolay Malyshev, in one of the patients with an untreated infection, covid mutated up to 40 times within a month!

“Today, all previously identified types of coronavirus, except for the delta strain, are no longer relevant. By isolating the leading mutation of covid, we can refine the most effective vaccine. For example, a vaccine against the delta strain can be created in the same way as a vaccine against influenza was created. But we must take into account that the flu vaccine is being finalized every year. That is, constant clear work is needed to identify and sequence the leading virus strain”, - says Sergey Voznesensky, Associate Professor of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the RUDN University.

Vaccination of children and adolescents was a special topic at the press conference. As you know, on the eve of the Ministry of Health denied information about the beginning of compulsory vaccination of adolescents from 12 to 17 years old. But this topic remains, perhaps, the most discussed. An unexpected opinion on this matter was expressed by a pediatrician, an infectious disease specialist Yevgeny Timakov: “There are now many more children with antibodies who have recovered than adults, this is a fact. This means that we can talk about the development of a certain immunity in them. Yes, children continue to get sick often. Moreover, children under 3 years of age tolerate covid rather hard. At the age of 4 to 11 years, they can easily tolerate, but after 12 years there may be a severe course. This age group is more active children, they rarely observe the mask regime. Moreover, they have already formed a sufficient number of receptors. These children definitely need to be protected. But a vaccine must have delayed safety, and for that it must pass very good tests. Foreign studies show that in children, the "side effects" after vaccination are about the same as after an illness. Now let's think about whether a mandatory mass vaccination of children is needed right now? Immunity is developed about a month and a half after vaccination, that is, if mass vaccination starts in the near future, it will be the end of the year, when seasonal diseases and the third wave, we hope, will subside. It should also be taken into account: the younger the body, the more pronounced the temperature reaction to the vaccine. That is why the dose of "Sputnik" for children has been reduced by 5 times. But large-scale research is needed for high-quality data on childhood vaccinations. Now they were held with us on a small group of children, and this is not enough for full-fledged conclusions. So I would think a hundred times about the need for mass vaccination of children. Perhaps it is worth considering a vaccine with greater safety, it is possible, on a different platform”, - says pediatrician, infectious disease specialist Yevgeny Timakov.

The overall level of vaccination in Russia fell short of expectations. It was planned to reach 60% by mid-summer, but today it is barely close to 30%. In many cases, complications and adverse reactions after them are among the reasons for refusing vaccinations. The journalists also asked the experts about this.

“Post-vaccination syndrome cannot be compared to post-covid syndrome. After the coronavirus, complications occur in 80% of those who have recovered, and there is not a single organ in which the virus has not been detected. It penetrates into the central nervous system, heart, blood vessels, affects the liver, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, causes strokes and thrombosis. In men, spermatogenesis is impaired in 100% of cases after coronavirus. Complications in those who have been ill last up to six months or more. The so-called post-vaccination syndrome looks different and depends a lot on the type of vaccine. For example, the response to "Sputnik" is often a flu-like condition, fever, muscle pain. In others, the body's immune response to vaccination may be myocarditis, myelitis. A reaction such as thrombosis has been recorded against foreign vaccines”. - explained the infectious disease specialist Yevgeny Timakov.

The question of restrictive measures in connection with the increase in the incidence of Covid-19 was not raised at the press conference. This is the topic of our next publications.